Imagine This Women's International Film Festival

What Imagine This Women's International Film Festival does

Imagine This Women's International Film Festival (ITWIFF) is a New York City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2016 that operates an annual hybrid film festival dedicated to women, non-binary, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled filmmakers. Its flagship event, the 11th Annual ITWIFF, runs September 25–27, 2026 at Regal Union Square with a parallel digital component; the organization has completed 10 editions since founding. Programming centers on narrative and documentary film screenings, shorts, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, workshops, and a screenplay competition with semi-finalist, finalist, and table-read stages.

ITWIFF's product surface extends beyond the festival weekend into a year-round ecosystem: the Emerging Voices Mentorship Program (delivered in partnership with Cutter Connections, providing 3–4 months of mentorship to three award winners), the Ladies Rocking the Lens film series, a Filmmaker Resources Hub curated for Black, women, and LGBTQIA+ creators (updated quarterly), and an editorial blog covering film reviews, interviews, and industry recommendations. The technical stack is assembled from category-standard third-party platforms — FilmFreeway for global filmmaker submissions, Sparqfest for virtual screenings and digital pass distribution, Eventive for ticketing, Canva for program materials, and a Wix-hosted website as the primary information hub — with audience engagement through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

The business model is a three-stream nonprofit model: (1) transaction-based pass revenue from in-person and digital festival tickets, (2) donations accepted via PayPal and GiveButter, and (3) corporate sponsorship from MPA, Tito's Vodka, Network ISA, Scriptation, Regal, and Pod Hotel in exchange for brand visibility. Filmmaker outreach flows through FilmFreeway, while consumer passes are sold directly via the festival website and Sparqfest. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, and the organization is led by Founder and Executive Director Patrice Francois, who has run the festival since its inception.

Name

Imagine This Women's International Film Festival

Legal name

Imagine This Women's Film Festival Inc

Website

https://imaginethiswomensfilmfestival.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Imagine This Women's International Film Festival (ITWIFF) is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 that runs an annual hybrid film festival plus year-round mentorship, screenplay, and resources programs serving women, non-binary, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled filmmakers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival Events

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAKAD

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

Keywords

• Women film festival
• Screenplay competition
• Filmmaker mentorship program
• Independent film screenings
• BIPOC storytelling events

Headquarters

HQ city

New York City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket and Pass Sales: Festival generates revenue through sale of in-person passes/tickets and digital/online passes for hybrid festival screenings. Ticket tiers include general admission and special filmmaker experiences.
2. Donations: Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization accepting donations via PayPal and GiveButter platform to support mission of empowering women, non-binary, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ filmmakers.
3. Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate sponsors (MPA, Tito's Vodka, Network ISA, Scriptation, Regal, Pod Hotel, and others) provide financial and in-kind support in exchange for brand visibility at festival events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ITWIFF runs an annual hybrid film festival featuring narrative and documentary films, shorts, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and workshops, complemented by a screenplay competition, the Emerging Voices Mentorship Program (3-4 month mentorship with Cutter Connections), the Ladies Rocking the Lens film series, and a filmmaker resources hub, all aimed at empowering women, non-binary, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ filmmakers.

Product overview

Imagine This Women's International Film Festival operates as a single unified nonprofit organization offering an annual hybrid film festival as its core product, supplemented by a screenplay competition, mentorship program, industry panels/workshops, a film series, editorial blog content, and a filmmaker resources hub. The 10th Annual festival took place in 2025 with the 11th edition scheduled for September 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ITWIFF Annual Film Festival Flagship annual hybrid film festival for women, non-binary, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ filmmakers, featuring narrative and documentary films, shorts, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, workshops, and networking events at Regal Union Square (NYC) and virtually via Sparqfest.
• Screenplay Competition Annual screenplay competition with semi-finalist, finalist, and table read tiers offering recognition, industry exposure, and additional Network ISA contest opportunities for emerging screenwriters.
• Emerging Voices Mentorship Program 3-4 month mentorship program in partnership with Cutter Connections providing personalized industry guidance and potential collaboration on Cutter Entertainment productions for award winners in Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short, and Best Emerging Filmmaker categories.
• Panels and Workshops Industry panels, fireside chats, and hands-on workshops featuring film and television professionals covering directing, production design, VFX, BIPOC storytelling, and career development (e.g., 'Bringing Your Vision to Life,' 'Power Behind the Picture').
• Ladies Rocking the Lens Film Series Curated ongoing film series showcasing works by women filmmakers beyond the annual festival programming.
• Filmmaker Resources Hub Curated resources for Black, women, and LGBTQIA+ filmmakers including filmmaker grants, funding opportunities, screenwriting resources, and fellowships/labs, updated quarterly.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked in top 1% of over 14,000 film festivals on FilmFreeway
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Cutter ConnectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative talent network and production agency partnership celebrating both organizations' 10th anniversaries. Cutter Connections provides mentorship opportunities for three festival award winners (Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Emerging Filmmaker) through the Emerging Voices Mentorship Program offering 3-4 months of personalized guidance from industry mentors and potential collaboration on Cutter Entertainment productions.
• MPA (Motion Picture Association)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerMPA supports festival programming including panels featuring industry professionals. MPA's VP of Public Affairs moderates festival panels and supports workforce development initiatives.
• Network ISAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerScreenplay competition partnership offering festival winners additional industry visibility and contest opportunities.
• ScriptationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmmy Award-winning app partnership for festival workshop on script annotation and production workflow tools.
• Regal CinemasmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFestival venue partner for 11th Annual ITWIFF 2026 at Regal Union Square, NYC providing in-person screening facilities.
• FilmFreewaycoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary submission platform for filmmaker entries enabling global reach for narrative films, documentaries, shorts, and screenplays.
• SparqfestcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital streaming platform hosting virtual festival screenings and digital pass distribution for hybrid festival access.
• Alliance of Women DirectorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry organization supporting women directors, partner in festival ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bentonville Film Festival: Bentonville Film Festival is a diversity-and-inclusion-focused festival championing underrepresented voices, with strong corporate sponsor backing (Walmart/CMG). Highly comparable to ITWIFF in mission and sponsor-driven model, though larger in scale.
• Urbanworld Film Festival: Urbanworld is a NYC-based festival founded to spotlight diverse voices in film, with hybrid programming and industry panels. Closely comparable to ITWIFF's NYC, diversity-focused, hybrid festival format.
• NewFest: NewFest is a NYC-based LGBTQ+ film and media festival with year-round programming and a similar nonprofit, mission-driven, identity-focused positioning. Directly comparable in community-building and festival operations to ITWIFF.
• Outfest Fusion Film Festival: Outfest Fusion is an LGBTQ+ film festival with mentoring programs and filmmaker labs, very similar in mission scope and programming to ITWIFF's mentorship and panels.
• Athena Film Festival: Athena Film Festival (Barnard College) is a NYC-based festival focused on women filmmakers and women-led stories, directly comparable in mission, format, and audience to ITWIFF. Both run in-person NYC events celebrating women in film.
• Pan African Film & Arts Festival: PAFF is one of the largest Black-focused film festivals in the US, with year-round programming and a similar nonprofit structure showcasing underrepresented filmmakers. Comparable to ITWIFF's BIPOC storytelling and community-development orientation.
• Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series: Reel Sisters is one of the longest-running festivals for women filmmakers of African, Caribbean, and Latina descent, with a parallel diversity-and-mentorship mission and hybrid programming model. Highly comparable to ITWIFF's women/BIPOC focus.

Broad incumbents

• Sundance Film Festival: Sundance is the largest US independent film festival with strong programs supporting underrepresented filmmakers (e.g., Indigenous, women directors). A broad incumbent that competes for the same submissions and sponsorship dollars as ITWIFF.
• Tribeca Festival: Tribeca is a much larger, NYC-based general-audience festival that operates hybrid programming and industry events. Overlaps with ITWIFF on NYC venue operations and filmmaker panels but serves a broader, mainstream market.

Others

• Alliance of Women Directors: Alliance of Women Directors is a nonprofit industry organization supporting women directors through community, education, and advocacy — already listed as an ITWIFF partner. Comparable ecosystem player rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ImagineThisWFF
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCP2S1nh0V1U7u3xD0BbFZzA
• Facebookfacebook.com/imaginethiswomensfilmfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imagine-this-women's-international-film-festival
• Instagraminstagram.com/imaginethiswomensfilmfestival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Imagine This Women's International Film Festival